Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley believes his upcoming matchup with Aiemann Zahabi is perfectly suited to highlight his striking skills.
O’Malley (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is scheduled to face the No. 6-ranked Zahabi (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at UFC Freedom 250, which takes place at the White House on June 14. After rebounding from consecutive title-fight losses to Merab Dvalishvili with a victory over Song Yadong at UFC 324 in January, O’Malley is looking to build further momentum toward another shot at UFC gold.
Zahabi enters the contest riding a seven-fight winning streak and has not been finished since suffering a knockout loss to Ricardo Ramos in 2017, just his second appearance in the UFC.
Speaking with Megan Olivi ahead of the event, O’Malley expressed confidence that Zahabi’s durability could ultimately work against him.
“You know, he's very durable, he's very tough, but that's what's going to get him hurt, is how tough he is, how durable he is,” O’Malley said. “And I'm going to land big shots over and over.”
Given the striking credentials of both fighters, O’Malley expects the bout to remain largely on the feet.
When asked how much grappling fans should expect, O’Malley replied, “Little to none. You know, everyone turns into a grappler at some point when you get hit enough times, but we'll see.”
While O’Malley is known for his knockout power, he acknowledged that putting away a durable opponent like Zahabi may require sustained offense rather than a single fight-ending blow.
“He's very tough, very durable,” O’Malley said. “I'm going to have to land a knockout shot multiple times. I'm very capable of doing that against his style and landing good shots a lot.”
With another win, O’Malley could strengthen his case for a return to title contention in the UFC’s bantamweight division. However, Zahabi’s seven-fight winning streak presents a significant obstacle, setting up what promises to be a pivotal clash at UFC Freedom 250.
